Lawcus automatically checks for outstanding financial balances when you close a matter or mark a lead as Did Not Hire.
If any balances are found, Lawcus displays a review screen showing the financial items associated with the record. You can review these balances and confirm before proceeding.
This helps ensure that unpaid invoices, unbilled activities, pending requests, and funds held are not overlooked when changing a matter or lead's status.
For a step-by-step walkthrough, watch our How to Review Outstanding Balances Before Closing Matters or Marking Leads as Did Not Hire in Lawcus video to learn how to review balances and confirm status changes for individual records or in bulk.
What Balances Does Lawcus Check?
Lawcus reviews financial information across three categories:
1. Billing
Displays outstanding amounts that require billing or payment collection, including:
Outstanding Invoices: Unpaid or partially paid invoices that have already been sent.
Unbilled Activities: Time entries, expenses, and flat fees that have not yet been billed.
Pending Payments: Trust and credit requests that have been sent but are awaiting payment.
2. In Pipeline
Displays invoices, trust requests, and credit requests that have not yet been sent, including those with the following statuses:
Draft
Pending Approval
Approved
Rejected
3. Funds Held
Displays funds currently allocated to the matter or lead, including:
Trust Balance: Funds held in trust and allocated to the record.
Operating Balance: Operating funds or unapplied credits allocated to the record.
Note: Each category displays the relevant amount and a brief summary, such as "1 sent · 1 partly paid" or "4 time entries · 2 expenses." For partially paid items, only the remaining amount due is displayed. Items with no balance are hidden.
How to Close a Matter with Outstanding Balances
Closing a Single Matter
Navigate to Matters and open the matter you want to close.
Click Quick Actions and select Close Matter.
Lawcus automatically checks the matter for outstanding balances.
If no balances are found, a confirmation window appears. Click Close Matter to proceed.
If balances are found, the Outstanding balances on this matter window appears.
Review the financial information displayed under Billing, In Pipeline, and Funds Held.
Select I have reviewed these balances.
Click Close Matter to confirm.
Note: The Close Matter button remains disabled until you confirm that you have reviewed the balances.
Closing Multiple Matters in Bulk
Navigate to the Matters list.
Select the matters you want to close using the checkboxes.
Click Close Matter from the bulk actions bar.
Lawcus displays a consolidated review showing:
Matters with no outstanding balances.
Matters with outstanding balances.
Total outstanding amounts across the selected matters.
Matters without balances are automatically included in the closing action.
To include matters with outstanding balances, select the checkbox next to each matter you want to close.
Select I have reviewed the balances to confirm.
Click Close [number] Matters to complete the action.
Note: Matters with outstanding balances remain open unless you explicitly select them for closure.
How to Mark a Lead as Did Not Hire
Lawcus also checks for outstanding balances when marking a lead as Did Not Hire, helping you identify any financial items that may require attention.
Marking a Single Lead as Did Not Hire
Navigate to Intake and open the lead.
Click Quick Actions and select Did not hire.
Lawcus checks the lead for outstanding financial balances.
Review the balance details displayed, if applicable.
Select a Reason for marking the lead as Did Not Hire.
Add a Note, if needed.
Complete the required balance review confirmation, if balances exist, and confirm the action.
Note: Selecting a Reason is mandatory, while adding a Note is optional.
Marking Multiple Leads as Did Not Hire
Navigate to the Intake list.
Select the leads you want to update.
From the bulk actions menu, select Hiring Status → Mark as Not Hired.
Lawcus checks the selected leads for outstanding balances.
Review the financial information displayed.
Select any leads with balances that you want to include in the action.
Choose a Reason and add an optional Note.
Complete the required balance review confirmation and confirm the action.
Note: The selected Reason and Note are applied to every lead included in the bulk action. Leads with balances are not included unless you explicitly select them.
Important Considerations for Leads with Balances
If a lead has outstanding balances, Lawcus displays reminders to review the following:
Trust Funds: Retainer funds held in trust for prospective clients should generally be refunded in accordance with applicable trust accounting rules.
Requests in Pipeline: Pending invoices, trust requests, or credit requests that have not been sent should generally not be sent.
Sent Requests: Requests that have already been sent should be reviewed and withdrawn where appropriate.
What Happens to Outstanding Balances After Closing?
Closing a matter or marking a lead as Did Not Hire only changes the record's status.
Lawcus does not automatically:
Bill unbilled time entries, expenses, or flat fees.
Collect outstanding invoice payments.
Send or void invoices and payment requests.
Refund trust or operating balances.
Remove existing financial records.
All financial information remains associated with the record for future review and follow-up.
Important Things to Know
Automatic Balance Check: Lawcus checks financial balances before closing matters or marking leads as Did Not Hire.
Review Confirmation: If balances exist, you must confirm that you have reviewed them before proceeding.
Bulk Actions: Records without balances are included automatically, while records with balances require explicit selection.
No Automatic Financial Changes: Closing a matter or marking a lead as Did Not Hire does not automatically process payments, refunds, or billing adjustments.
Cancel Anytime: You can cancel the action using Cancel, the close button, or the Esc key. No changes are made until you confirm.
This feature helps your firm review outstanding financial items and make informed decisions before closing matters or marking leads as Did Not Hire.